From Roger Chin
Ibrahim M Ahmad (FMT Letters, Nov 15), let’s be honest – really honest. No one criticised the right to appeal. Not once. What was highlighted was the way it was handled.
First, media statements on Nov 11 said “no appeal”, with the fine print saying only “defects” would be appealed. Then came news of a partial appeal.
And when the actual notices of appeal were filed, it became clear that everything except the 40% formula itself was being appealed – including the findings of breach, unconstitutionality, the lost years, the invalid gazette orders and the orders for damages and accounting.
Those are facts, not “spin”. And they’re clearly documented in the statement and the later addendum.
So let’s not pretend people were angry about the existence of an appeal. Appeals are a right – everyone understands that.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with Sabahans hoping there would be no appeal after 50 years of being denied what the constitution promised. That’s a human reaction to half a century of neglect, not an attack on anyone’s legal rights.
What Sabahans reacted to was the messaging, the shifting narrative, and the gap between what was publicly said and what was actually filed in court.
That’s not attacking the appeal. That’s calling out inconsistency. If we’re going to talk about honesty, let’s start there.
Roger Chin is a lawyer and a former president of the Sabah Law Society.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
